SO,I'M A NIGHT-OWL. DOES THAT MAKE ME A
FEATHER- HEAD?

Welcome to my Garden.Here is the beauty of my world,in microcosm. It is filled with plants, flowers,animals,birds and persons who are so important to me,that all together, fill me with delight,every day.

MUSICAL TREATS-

"WHERE NO ONE STANDS ALONE "JIMMY SWAGGART: THERE IS ROOM AT THE CROSS FOR YOUDONE BY JIM RECORDS, 2006, THIS IS JIMMY'S NEWEST CD, WITH JIMMY ON THE VOCALS, AND THE PIANO, BACKED UP BY THE SILKY VOICES OF THE CRUSADE TEAM,AND FULL MUSICAL ACCOMPANYMENT, WITH JIMMY'S UNPARALLELED ARRANGEMENTS, TRULY AN OUTSTANDING TIME OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP,AND A COMFORT TO THE SOUL. (*****)

IT'S LUCKY WE METJANET PASCHAL: BILL GAITHER AND GLORIA: GOD BLESS AMERICAGAITHER GOSPEL SERIES LIVE FROM CARNEGIE HALL
WITH THEIR HOMECOMING FRIENDS-GET USED TO BEING HAPPY! (*****)

"UNBREAK MY HEART"IL DIVO: IL DIVO A NEW GROUP JUST INTRODUCED ON OPRAH AND THE TONIGHT SHOW, PUT TOGETHER BY SIMON C.
FROM AMERICAN IDOL...FOUR YOUNG MEN, ALL FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, DOING HIP SONGS IN AN OPERATIC STYLE! A MUST HAVE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE MUSIC! YUMMY! SONG IN ITALIAN, OR SPANISH, OR ONE OF THOSE ROMANCE LANGUAGES...WHATEVER IT IS, IT WORKS FOR ME! (*****)

MOONLIGHT SONATABEETHOVEN: PIANO SOLOSSERENE, RESTFUL, AND BEAUTIFUL CLASSICAL MUSIC
TRY THIS IN FRONT OF THE FIRE WITH A GOOD BOOK
AND A GLASS OF WINE. REFLECTIVE.
HAS A WAY OF CALMING KIDS DOWN. (*****)

RHAPSODY IN BLUEGEORGE GERSHWIN: FANTASIA II; DISNEY ALSO AVAILABLE JUST UNDER IT'S OWN NAME,
ON CD OR CASSETTE. SYMPHONIC JAZZ.
GEORGOUS! (*****)

WORD LOVES

T.H. WHITE: "THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING"This is THE BOOK, without which no home library of good fiction is complete! The foundation for the complete Aruthurian ledgend, upon which was based "The sword in the Stone", "Camelot",as well as "Merlin!" There is even speculation of it being an allegory of Christ.A book you will read, and re-read for years to come! It is beautiful, romantic,realistic to the times,and even screamingly funny in places! (*****)

Barbra D'amato: Of course you know that chocolate is a vegetable!Anthology of murder mysteries! Funny, clever and so well written. If you love chocolate, you will drool over the title story! (*****)

VIRGINIA WOOLF edited by Susan Dick: THE Complete Shorter Fiction Of Virginia Woolf A book that follows Virginia Woolf's art of lyrical prose developement...encounter continuous delights for the mind! Be stirred by the color and vapours of Kew Gardens,sweet, magical pictures her words will create in your mind! (*****)

WARREN MURPHY & RICHARD SAPIR: THE DESTROYER SERIES FROM #1 TO THE 64TH, (WHICH IS ONLY AS FAR AS I HAVE GOTTEN IN MY COLLECTION) THIS MARTIAL ARTS SERIES HAS GOT IT ALL.REMO WILLIAMS IS A WISE-CRACKING "DEAD" COP, AND HIS MENTOR IS THE FRAGILE LOOKING CHIUN, MASTER OF SINANJU,
TOGETHER THEY COMPRISE THE KILLING ARM OF A BRANCH OF THE US GOVERNMENT THAT DOES NOT EXIST.

NORA LAM AND RICHARD SCHNIEDER: CHINA CRY: THE NORA LAM STORYTHE TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO FOUND THE COURAGE TO LOVE AND THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE AGAINST ALL ODDS. (*****)

My mother feather head went home to be with Jesus on aug 16 th at about 4:30 pm .

She loved the time she spent doing her blogs and the time she spent with you she cared about all the people that visited her site .

She always went back to the refers to see what each person wanted to find ,and then she whould destroy herself finding what ever the person wanted she was passionate about it .All that said the funeral will be Wednesday Aug.22 nd at 11:00am at wheelan pressly funeral home at 3030 7th ave rock island ill. 61201 if you wish to send memorials

If the accusation comes from the spouse who feels themselves abused,then one must ask the question; " Is it enough that they feel abused, or should there be proof of the abuse, and if so, what form should the proof take?" Is thoughtlessness enough to constitute abuse? Is simple thoughtlessness enough? He forgot your birthday, or anniversary. Is that abuse, or just forgetfulness? If it is abuse, should it be labeled as such for one time, or does it have to be habitual, happening over a period of years? To be fair, one must consider intent. If the offending spouse knows their spouse wishes or expects an action commemorating a special day, and does nothing, knowing the lack or omission will be hurtful to their spouse,then yes, that is spousal abuse.Certainly,if it is repeated time after time, with no effort on the part of the offending spouse to make amends, then that is enough to constitute mental and/or emotional abuse. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that a man or wife grew up in a home where the parents did not display affection. Birthday cakes, gifts, cards, and kisses were a rarity,and even the mere mention of the phrase "I love you" were not heard. Then, as that person became an adult, and felt the urge to marry, it would be abnormal for that person to suddenly turn around and be affectionate. The desire to please their spouse may be there, but from the way they were reared,they would lack the mental capacity, or the emotional wherewithal to do so. Although this situation is unusual, it is not unheard of. I have known of a person who had this sort of upbringing, and it is not that persons fault,entirely. However, for the couple to actually reach the point where they got married,without the person's intended detecting something was missing in their displays of affection, is highly unlikely. Somewhere along the line, there would be a sensation that something was wrong. Yet, in the case that I am thinking of, the spouse, in this case, a man, was able to feign loving behavior enough to convince his bride-to-be of his love. In this instance, the man was at fault, and set out to make the girl fall in love with him, for the sole purpose of having her for his own. He did not love her, he desired her to be his possession. She was a beautiful young woman in every way. Chic, curvaceous,and admired by many men,with a sparkling personality, outgoing, smart and charming,with a glamorous job that brought her in contact with a high profile social circle every day. She dressed beautifully, and she was poised. He simply had to have her. While they dated, she unwittingly taught him how to win her over. He learned the right things to say, and how to treat her,to convince her that they were meant to be together.He went to church with her,pretended to like everything that she did, and even swore he was anxious to settle down, and have a home and children. That was the chink in her armor. Somehow he had found out that what she wanted most was to be married,and have babies,and that she was saving herself for marriage. She was a Virgin,at the age of 19. That cinched it for him. He would do anything to have her. He was a perfect gentleman, and shyly confessed that he was in love with her,while on their knees in church one day. She fell for it like a ton of bricks. Straight after church, they went to her parents house,and in front of the whole family he asked for her hand in marriage, first to her father, and then once he had his consent, he got down on one knee, and proposed to her. Six months later, they were married,in a big church wedding,with all the trimmings, reception, and a wonderful honeymoon.Soon after, he grew cold,and he informed her that he didn't have to do that "stuff" anymore,meaning kissing hello and goodbye, cards, hugging, and saying I love you,or any other displays of affection,including gifts,and, he could" have" her any time he wanted. He said, "You're mine now. There's nothing you can do about it."

The answer is simple. Do something worth noticing. Now, that sounds snide, but I honestly don't mean it that way. If you think about it, you will know that I am right. Men are creatures of habit. If you have been going along, doing the same old same old, cooking the same food, wearing the same type of clothes, styling your hair the same way, and not attempting anything different, pretty soon, he's going to be looking around for distractions. YOU should be the distraction!

While my Tom was alive, he always would hurry home to see what I was up to. Now, I never was the type that was getting into trouble. That is definitely not what I mean. For example, he loved my long hair, but I told him, that if I was to keep growing it long, he had to help me brush it, because it was getting too long for me to reach the end, and if I was going to brush it a hundred strokes a night, I would need him to do at least 50. Well. He did for a while,and then he started ducking out on it, like going to bed while I was in the shower and things like that. So after a couple of weeks, one day he came home,and to his surprise I had cut it. It had been down past my waist,and I had trimmed it back to shoulder length,frosted it, and restyled it. He loved it, much to his chagrin, but he still asked why,and I pulled no punches.

"You," I said, " Did not fulfill your part of the bargain. It was hurting my arms to care for it at that length, so I had to make it more manageable. Next time, remember. Make me a promise, you better keep it!"

Be creative. You don't have to be artsy-fartsy exactly,but if you can write, or sing in your spare time, it couldn't hurt. Surprise him with his favorite meal,and flowers on the table once in a while...and it would be a nice touch if you dressed up and put some make-up on. Husbands tend to loose interest if they feel you have lost interest in them.In your request, you used a term that is sure to turn a man off. No man wants to feel like your begging for their attention, because it's annoying. Surely you have interests beyond just your husband. Perhaps things that you have put on the back burner. Nows the time to dig that stuff back out. Reading. Music. knitting or needle work,hooking rugs or painting. If you have children, there are wonderful things you can do with the kids. Write stories and read them to them. Don't just sit around waiting for him to notice you, DO SOMETHING!

And finally, if and when you get his attention, listen to him. Men love that!

When watching "Christine" tonight,(the sitcom, not the demonic car movie) I had a moment. A bittersweet memory of love. In the television show, Christine has a serious crush on one of her son's teachers,a very attractive Mr. Harris, and when ever she comes in sight of him, she is incapable of putting together an articulate sentence. All she can do is stare at him,stutter, and ended up looking and sounding like a complete buffoon.Well, in this episode, it comes out that the school has a rule against teachers dating parents,and yet,Mr. Harris would date her if he could. After an awkward situation, the show ends on a very sweet moment, and I was reminded of a past flame of mine.

It began strangely enough,on a Friday night.One of those nights where people just started dropping in,and before you know it, you have a party going on.Before I knew it, Sherry and Patty showed up.Both good friends,and as such parties grow, they'd brought a new friend. Or,to be more precise, Patty's new friend. She introduced us. Or at least, tried to. She only got out,"I'd like you to meet....." and he walked in,thrust an ice-cold can of beer in my hand, kissed me on the mouth, and said "Hello B****! I'm Barry!" Well! I was immediately insulted, but it did not escape my notice that he was very good looking,with blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and tall with a nice build. Since he was a guest in my home, I did not respond in kind to his insult, but neither did I fall all over myself to be hospitable. I offered him a place to sit,and went about the business of seeing to my other guests,knowing that he would have no problem in finding someone to talk to, or introducing himself to others. I recall the evening as being most amusing. We ordered out pizza, and had Blue come out to play and everyone was charmed and fascinated by Blue....even Barry. (see photo album for picture of blue) And why not? Blue could swear and cuss with the best of them,for everyone who came to see us taught him a new word or phrase,and he was like a little sponge. Once out of someone's mouth, he had it,and repeated it...forever! He would drink beer out of a bottle cap, and one whiff of pizza would send him soaring to chase anyone down to land on their piece of pie,no matter how hot it was, and steal a bite of anything,crust, cheese, pepperoni, green pepper,and then fly off to a more comfortable perch to eat it. Once he had all he wanted of that, he would walk up your arm,and talk in your ear, kiss,kiss, kiss, pretty boo! But a parakeet's ability to entertain is limited,and once he got full, and had enough exercise,wowing the crowd with his silliness and mimicry, he would choose the time to go back to his cage,and stridently demand that the lights be lowered,and his cage covered. Throughout this time,Barry had glanced at me from time to time in puzzlement,for I never spoke to him. And though others found his off-beat sense of humor uproariously funny,and hung around him in ever-widening circles,guffawing until tears streamed down their cheeks, I took every chance I could to avoid being anywhere near him, and certainly gave him no opening to speak to me,and most assuredly,never to kiss me again. I got the impression that she who had brought this creature to my house was involved with him,and so when it came time to "give the house another round" of drinks, It is she to whom I spoke, asking if they needed another drink,and when he searched out the bathroom, she gave him the nickle tour. But as the evening wore on, and my guests began to make their excuses and leave, two things occurred. Yon son and I were cleaning up, and my friend offered to give me a hand, and Barry announced that we were in need of a beer-run. To his addled brain, these things must be done in pairs,and since my pal, his girl , was otherwise occupied, he asked another girl to go along ...since it had begun to storm, and he knew she didn't want to spoil her hair by going out in the rain,and after all, they were only going six blocks to the bar,and would be back before the dishes were dry. As we did things up, we talked,and all she could talk about was Barry. He was so sharp, clever and cool. She was impressed with how smart and witty he was, all of which I had gathered over the course of the evening. I couldn't help but overhear his lucid conversation. He was a fast,erudite talker, like a cross between Dennis Miller,and George Carlin, with a dash of Jeff Goldbloom thrown in for good measure,and he delighted in toying with people's minds, throwing words and concepts at them that he perceived they hadn't the mental ability to understand, and confusing them. Obviously, I didn't like that about him, but if Patty noticed this trait, she made no mention of it. Barry was wonderful and could do no wrong. She was completely smitten. But things went from bad to worse. Once we had cleaned up from the party, and Barry and the other girl had not returned, we went to the porch/balcony and watched for him to return.By that time Yon son had long been in bed,and the rain had turned into a downpour. We watched it rain for two hours before Patty said, " I don't guess he's coming back." She had kept up a smiling facade until she came out with that,and there was no smile on her face anymore. I felt so sorry for her, but I didn't know what to do. Sherry had left hours ago, she had a date with the race-track,and I had no way to reach her when she was there. I was too tired,and had had too many drinks to drive Patty home,and she had left her car at the bar.The bar which was now closing. She was in no shape to drive...she had expected that Barry would be taking her home,and there was no question as to whether she would be content to spend the night with me. Patty always made it home every night. This night would be no different. In the end, she called a taxi,and I thought, that was the end of Barry and Patty. But I was wrong. What began as an off-the-cuff- party, turned into a round of parties that never seemed to end. The next day, just as Yon son and I returned home from doing laundry, ,Sherry and her daughter, Patty and Barry showed up, bearing gifts and goodies,and asked if we wouldn't like to come to Barry's for dinner. A resounding "No" trembled on my lips, but I caught Yon son's eyes,knowing it was slim pickings in our larder, and a whole week before payday,and here was an offer of another night of fun, and food and time spent with friends, with the exception of only one person. Could I deny my child a decent dinner, because I didn't like one person? And so we went. And this beast whom had insulted me with the first words out of his mouth to me, spent the evening being charming, and fun,cooking mouthwatering food and setting a beautiful table, only to destroy that illusion by tossing dinner rolls from one end of the table to the other, to the hilarity of the children, and Sherry, Patty,and Sherry's future husband Scotty. And after dinner was over we snuggled together in leather couches and chairs and watched movies,and ate bowls of buttered popcorn and drank ice cold soft drinks until the children were asleep,and could be put in the guest room, and then broke out the beer.Then we sat around the big kitchen table and talked,and drank, and friends from the night before drifted in and out of the house,and every once in a while someone would say, "there's a party in the basement," and some would get up and go downstairs...all but Sherry and I, for we didn't know what they were talking about...we figured we were already having a fine party right where we were. We played some board games,and then a little cards, but mostly we talked, and sometimes it was silly and we laughed, and then our conversation turned serious and profound, and we were awed by what deep thinkers some had become all of a sudden, but then the mood would change, and those that were couples would pair off,and go into other rooms, and often I would be the only one sitting in the kitchen,but not for long. Barry would come in, and look at me, and instead of getting two more beers as he had intended, he would go back to his room,and call Patty to come out, and they would return to the kitchen. Before long Sherry and Scotty would join us, and it would be decided that we should take the children and go home,but that we should get together all the earlier the next day, and grill out,and so it went. All through spring and into summer,and then on to fall we spent together. When I was working, Barry and Patty and Sherry spent looking for jobs. But Friday nights through Sunday evenings we would all go to Sherry's or Barry's, or my house,eating sumptuously, drinking and talking and laughing,and although we didn't know it, getting to know each other, really well. Somewhere along the line, one day would slip into another, to the point where we didn't really pay much attention where one ended and another began. Until I left my office job,and went to work at the florists. That is when my life changed. Vividly I remember the day, when to save a huge floral arrangement, I fell, twisting,and broke my back. I tried to continue working, but I couldn't. The pain got in the way of everything I tried. Sitting got to hurt too bad. Standing, my legs went numb.There was no such thing as a comfortable position. Finally, I had to stop working. That winter was the most miserable time of my life, until I realized that everything else was messed up, but my hands still worked. So, I taught myself to type. I got an old Royal manual typewriter,and started writing that book I had always threatened to write. And, I wrote it. Hours and hours sitting at the desk, pounding away on that old machine, while my legs and feet got so cold I had to have help to get up and walk. Sherry and Barry came over and checked on me day after day. they brought me ribbon,typing paper and carbon paper,helped me keep my telephone on,and called me often.And then one day I got an answer back from a publisher. They accepted my book,and sent me a contract to publish it. I was so elated, I cried. I called Barry and Sherry,and they came over, with champagne and all sorts of wonderful stuff. Barry was so surprised he couldn't keep the shocked look off his face,and he told me how proud he was of me,and he held me in his arms, and shivered and shook while he expressed his feelings for me. Sherry was gone to the race-track,and Yon son was sound asleep in his bed,and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't heard from or about Patty for a very long time. I felt emotions surging through me that were so unexpected,I pushed him away.

"What about Patty?"I said." I know she loves you."

We did a lot of talking that night. About love,and about friends and family. About loyalty,and betrayal.About my vow never to do to another woman what had been done to me.And, when he left that night, I went to the balcony,and said," Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?"

And from his car, he stopped in the middle of the street, leaned out his car window, and called up to me, so loudly that all my neighbors could hear" It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!!"Both arms outstretched, with a crack in his voice.

Then I watched as he slowly drove away.

We never kissed,beyond that first hateful time,even though he knew I loved him, and I knew that he loved me. We shall always love each other.

Personally, I had never heard of the man before about two years ago, when my friend Sherry happened to mention that an old school chum called her, long distance,and was all a-bubble,talking about how this rich, internationally famous, musician, showman, and orchestra leader had made her acquaintance,and was seeing her. She was happy for her friend, but the more Sherry told me about it, the less inclined I was to believe the story. From the very beginning, Sherry couldn't quite pin her chum down on where,and how they met. So, I did what anybody would do, I googled the man. Sure enough, he has a huge, colorful website,with clips of his musical concerts,and pictures of himself (too cute!), his castle, and a very informative bio, which includes the role HIS WIFE plays in his career!

Well,knowing that this woman lives in some backwater town in Wisconsin,is disabled,and sort of lost out in the looks department, has only two friends,and uses public transportation to get to and from work, I doubted that she moved in the same circles as a man of this stature,and was probably making the whole thing up, much in the way l0nely young teen-agers will fabricate boyfriends, just to impress her friends and try to fit in. But, I bit my tongue,and didn't express my opinion, because, after all , I couldn't find any proof, for or against this woman's story,but it did seem rather strange that even though as the months went by she told Sherry of being taken on his jet to Canada,and New York, and all over the world,to be wined and dinned,and included in lavish parties and to be present at his concerts he footed the bill for her elegant clothes and visits to beauty salons, for hair do's and make up, none of the fans chat rooms ever had a word to say about any mysterious woman that he was suddenly,seemingly being seen with,unless he was smuggling her into concerts backstage swathed in fur coats and sunglasses, seated surreptitiously in reserved balcony seating, and then hustled out the door before the last number! In which case she must have gotten real tired of languishing in the limo for an hour or so while the after-the-concert- meet and greet was going on! In all my reading up on this man, only once was there even a breath of impropriety, that being a fan mentioned that he had a girlfriend from Germany...which was instantly Pooh-pooed by his staunchly loyal fans.

Meanwhile, Sherry's friend is playing ring-around- the- rosie with phone calls that occurred in the middle of the night, with requests like, "He's taking me to New York tomorrow,and I don't know how to dress, or how to act,Help me!" And with the patience of Job, Sherry would stay up, dead tired, and explain how a cultured lady comports herself when in a high-class hotel,or confronted with a full-service meal,and ended quickly when she said, Oh, he's here now, I have to go! Apparently, he flew back to the states every night after every concert, just to see her. Yeah. From all over the world, he was able to fly to her side every night.Now, I know that jets are fast and all, but you can't fly home from the other side of the world in 2 or 3 hours. The time just didn't add up. Plus, all those times she would say, he's here, Sherry never heard a door slam, or another voice. Even after being told, Oh, Andre says hello..Sherry never heard his voice, because, oh he doesn't want to talk, he is so shy,you know. Balderdash! As outgoing a man as I saw in those clips, who entertains literally thousands of people every week, is not too shy to pick up the phone and say hi to a total stranger!

And now, it turns out that Sherry's friend...we will call her Chris,has been diagnosed with cancer...again. She beat it once, but since then she has retired from her job,and doesn't have the resources to pay for all the medical bills,and so must wait for the expensive treatments that she needs. It seems that Andre has offered to pay the bills, but Chris won't hear of it; it's too much to ask of him, even though she says they are in love,and had a private wedding ceremony at his castle in Scotland or someplace,because his wife won't give him a divorce. The story just keeps building and building, and makes no sense altogether, it has holes in it that you could drive a Buick through.

So finally, a couple of nights ago, Sherry and I talked on the phone for rather a long time, and we hashed the whole story out again, and figuring I had quite enough bite marks on my tongue,I brought out the fact that when someone walks in the room,and talks to me, she certainly can hear them, and vice-versa on her end. That a showman of his stature wouldn't have any problem speaking to her directly, that unless he is superman, or has some sort of supersonic jet noone has ever heard of before, should be detained overnight at least from some of those far flung concert sites,and if he's so blessed rich, and loves her so much, then he should be footing the bill for those life-saving treatments she so desperately needs. In short, I said, Sherry, wake up! This woman who calls you every night, robs you of your sleep and causes you such stress, is using you as some sort of sudo-shrink, on call, 24 hours a day, 8 days a week! It's not right,and it's not fair. You didn't take her to raise, and since she obviously can't be honest with you, cut her loose! And as I laid it out, point by point, Sherry began to say things like, You know, you're right. And at long last, her eyes were opened to what this so called friend had been doing to her,and she dug out of her desk drawer some letters, some her friend has written to her,and some, supposedly from the too- shy-to-talk-on the-phone Showman,Andre,and what do you know? Chris and Andre's handwritings are the same!

I suppose that Sherry is just too sweet and too nice to confront her pal with what she now knows directly. She will probably just let their friendship drift apart by being too busy. Chris is, after all, ill, and it could be terminal, and that is a shame, and something I wouldn't wish on anybody, even if they are given to make up stories to get attention.

But on the other hand, how I would like to be a little fly on the wall sometime when she calls,and Sherry is in just the right mood to not back up an inch, but give it to her with both barrels.

What a lovely night! Of course, I am being sarcastic. This has not been one of my best days. I have felt it in my bones that rain was coming for two days, so that right there set me in a basically "good mood." I was pryed out of my bed at 7:30 to have breakfast, two hours later than pill time this morning,and I was a grouch from the word go...or Up! It was a hot day, so Yon had the Air cranked up as high as it would go,and that was fine, until he cooked breakfast,and then kissed me goodnight, and went to bed,as I was taking my pills and eating my eggs. Now, in case I haven't mentioned it before, we have a slight problem. I cannot go back to bed until my medications have been ingested,and my food settles. All of this takes at least an hour. By that time, Yon is snoring,and once he is snoring it takes something earth-shattering such as me hitting the floor, or screaming his name hundreds of times to wake him back up, and for the most part, I need his help to get back into bed. I can manage it if I have to, but it is difficult and painful without him. Which set me off immediately. Of course he needs to get to sleep fairly soon once he is off work and home, but an extra hour isn't going to ruin his days sleep! But I let it go,and I wound up doing what I usually do in that case. I fell asleep at the table. So when I woke up about noon, I finally made my way to bed, after unkinking my back,and taking another pain pill, and taking a breathing treatment, I got to sleep about two; and was cheerfully awakened two hours later by guess who, all bright eyed and bushy-tailed! "Time for Jeopardy!" said he, and what shall we have for dinner?" I said left-overs, he said steak, so we compromised, and I had left-over salad,and he cooked steak on the grill. Once he left for work, I couldn't go back to bed, because tonight was Bible -study night, and I am so glad I was able to stay up for it, because it was really very good,and uplifting,and the Lord touched my back pain enough to ease it so that I had to fight to stay wake...proving once again that God does have a sense of humor! But, by the time it was over, it was almost 9 o'clock ,and evening pill time is 10 o'clock...but I went ahead and shut the computer down and stuffed myself into bed, for a breathing treatment, and hopefully a small nap, and for once, no such luck. By the time I got back up, and took my pills and had my snack, the computer told me it was down to 65 degrees,and the air was still blasting cold air,and I was starting to turn blue and shiver. Now this year we again have two air conditioners. One in the bedroom, so the heat doesn't keep me awake and drive me out of the bedroom the minute I am awake,and the big new one that we put in the living room window, that is powerful enough to keep the whole rest of the house cool. So, I waited a little while, and sure enough, Yon came to check on me, and ran to the store very quickly, but two things occurred,which I had not anticipated. One, I gave him the wrong card, so I will probably have an overage of about $5...Lord only knows what they'll charge me for that! And two, I neglected to ask him to shut down the big machine! Horrors! Well, there wasn't much I could do about the card at this time of night, but somehow I had to get to the Air conditioner. Now, Yon takes things up as though nothing else existed,and this spring, he is into body building. So there is a rowing machine, bar-bells,weights and all manner of oddities strung all over the living room. The kitchen and dining-room are pretty clear for my wheelchair, with the exception of my air hose that is currently following me everywhere,and the path to the living room is filled with odd chairs that one can't just shove out of the way easily. Not that we have to kick a path filled with a lot of junk, but there are cat toys, and a couple of carpet sweepers shoved against the wall, and foot-stools, that just don't quite leave clearance for my wheelchair. So going into the living room, it's slow going, because one must make it around all that stuff, clean to the front door to turn on the overhead light.Then I had to retrace part of my path to back up around the rowing machine, and then lean forward on another footstool, while sitting on my chair, but almost laying on the footstool in order to keep from falling out of my chair.Sort of tricky when your facing the icy breath of the monster your attempting to kill! Then, there is the sheer cold blast of air that one must see past in order to decipher the controls. I had never seen this machine before....as I said, it is brand new...one knob was the on and off,and the other was the temperature setting ,and squinting into the blizzard I was almost blind!..so I just reached blindly and twiddled both until everything shut down!

Once that was done, I sat back, relieved and just breathed in and out for a few moments,as the aching in my back subsided,and then backed up around the rowing machine, and wheeled my way to the light switch. It was only after I flipped it off, that the horrible reality came clear to me. As awful as to trip into the living room and through the dining room had been, it was going to be doubly difficult to make it out, because there was no way I would be able to turn around! With my messed up aching back and the restrictions of no twisting of my neck and back , I was going to have to back out around everything just as I had come in! Only this time, I had extra added fun! I had the hose behind me to run over, again and again and again, while the oxygen was on my nose,and I heard something fall. I admit, I turned to see what it was,and it was a pole that Yon uses to tease the cat with. It's long and sturdy, and he attaches cute little toys to it that she loves to pounce upon. Three times I took aim at the doorway, that if someone would move all the stuff out of it, it would be easy to get through, however, since I rarely go there, things have a way of collecting! But at long last, I got that pole between my wheels, then between my feet,and slid the thing along out of my way...and just in time too, for Molly was gathering her haunches to spring and pounce...and since her toys are strung all over the rug that lives there, I shudder to think at what she would have jumped, had I not cleared the area, were I a bit slower!

And now, it's raining. In fact, we're supposed to have thunder-boomer's all week-end!

The sweetest story I have seen in years was just on the news. It being May, the school year is winding down, and a local elementary school decided to take the the whole student body,and their parents,and all the teachers, load them up and haul them off on a surprise picnic in the big park. From class one till the end of the day the children played games,hiked up and down hills, had three legged races,ate sack lunches and drank ice-cold milk from little cartons on wooden picnic tables,while they sang and laughed,and enjoyed dappled sunshine and wind-swept hair.

It so reminded me of a time when I was in school, when we were given last minute notice that we didn't have to wear our uniforms that day,and were to bring sack lunches,and almost the minute I arrived at school we were all whisked into big buses,and with great anticipation our teachers and chaperone's came twittering onto the buses too, looking like great penguins that huddled near the back of the bus and whispered amongst themselves as strange looking men drove us to a big park way across town...someplace none of us had ever gone!

Finally we arrived,and pulled in to a huge green expanse where the lanes of the park were divided, and one went up this way, and another went off that way, and no one knew where we were supposed to go. All the children sat there clutching their little brown paper bag lunches,and looked around for someone or something familiar...but of course there was nothing.,and our chaperons were worse off than we were. Had we but known the Sisters were even more out of their depth than we were, we might have been frightened, but they of the convent variety of penguin were fairly adept at behaving as though they could handle any situation. After what seemed like hours of sitting on those buses,wheeled around and behind one another like a serpentine monster, one of those buses doors began to open, and two and three at a time the sisters disembarked from the doors,and right there in the middle of the park lanes, they had a confab, their black robes and capes fluttering in the breeze. At long last, the sisters came back to the buses,and ordered the drivers to park,and led us off the buses. Now, the day had begun with warm sunshine, but by the time we got off the buses, the day was overcast and rather chilly, which didn't suit the shorts and sleeveless tops we were allowed to wear,and the pace we were led at was a far cry from restful or sedate as the nuns urged us up and down hills and across fields,our paper bag lunches took a fearful beating as they banged against our stumpy little legs. But, we found the zoo, the big pavilion with all the picnic tables on the hill, along with all the lunch people waiting there with the milk and ice cream and cake...but apparently we had waited on the buses too long, for we weren't give time to even sit down on the table under the vast pavilion. Quickly we were cued up to pick up our bottles of milk and pieces of cake and little tubs of ice cream, and then rushed on down the hill again to climb back onto our buses, and then once safely in our seats, making our way out of the park ,we were told to go ahead and eat our lunches. Most of my class-mates were puzzled and fairly confused as we unwrapped our sandwiches, but I noticed that amongst our teachers there was hand-wringing and sad faces. One in particular, whom wasn't exactly my favorite, but who seemed very sweet, had actual tears in her eyes. It occurred to me on that long ride back to the school that they had planned a nice day for us, and were very upset and disappointed that things had not gone well. But no one else seemed to notice their distress. My class mates began to talk about it, and all they could see, was that this had been a total waste of time. We arrived at the school far later than if we had been in school that day, and the general conversation was,our school couldn't do anything right,and though while we were still on the bus those sentiments were being expressed in whispers, once we got off the bus, rumor was being passed,and it was not quietly done either. Parents were there to pick up their children, and as was our wont, King was there to greet me and walk me home,and I tossed him the last bit of my sandwich, while I scarfed down the cake and ice cream. The buses were still pulling in around the school-yard,circling the entire block,and the nuns were standing in small semi-circles in their dignified, albeit embarrassed groups, ready to take any harsh words that might be coming their way for the fiasco they had unwittingly planned. Sure enough, the more vocal of my class-mates were runnng up to their parents, telling them how awful the picnic had been,and Sister Mary tears in the eyes was beet-red in the face,and just then, Mom and Dad approached. I stepped into the group of nuns,and for the first time ever, I spoke up loudly,addressing each teacher by name,and thanked them for the outing! I don't to this day remember all their names, but that day I knew Sister Mary Carmelita had taken my hand and pulled me along when I was having trouble getting up the hill to the zoo, that Sister Mary so and so had helped me to get my milk and pointed out where to go to get my cake and ice cream,and I pointed out in no uncertain terms that they had taken us to one of the prettiest parks I had ever seen,and wouldn't they tell my parents where it was so we could go there again? I had no intention of trying to be in the lime-light,but I just couldn't bear to see those ladies be humiliated and cry because regardless of all their efforts, their attempts to give us children a good time had fallen through so badly. They at least had tried. We would go home with families that loved us,and could show us good times all summer. Those dear sweet ladies had no one but each other,and the memory of that day, and once they went into the convent and closed the door, would only have either the thanks of the children they had tried to please, or their derision.

Well,all of those sad little drawn faces brightened as the parents rushed forwards to thank the sisters,and several young ladies and gentlemen were thrust forwards from the bosom of their families to give thanks,and shake hands,and talk changed from what happened that was wrong, to how wonderful the zoo was,and what a clever use of our time not to have us spend all our time at the park just eating, but to do other things there,and eat on the way back!

And I, all these years later, have a warm feeling in my heart when I see such a story as I saw on television today,and an echo of a smile, such as the ones on the faces of those dear ladies,whom even though they were not perfect, at least tried to do their best to give their students a happy outing.

I know that you are hurting right now. We are all hurting, because word has gotten around so quickly...all but hermits and those who don't care have seen the news,and heard all about that "depressed" young man who decided to go on a rampage today and ended up shooting and killing 22 people, including himself,and injured countless others.It's a hard thing to witness via t.v.: it's an even harder thing to report, or blog on.And yet, it's even more difficult to be silent. If by not saying anything on the situation gives one the feeling that some people don't care, then I must speak. If in speaking I bring you to tears, or to wrath, then that at least is an emotion more easily understood and dealt with than the emptiness inside left by the vast sense of waste of those lives, so full of potential,cut short before they could realize their dreams and ambitions. My heart and soul goes out to the parents of each and every student injured or killed today,as well as the families of the instructors who put their lives on the line to protect their students.

In the next few days your going to hear a lot of flowery speeches about those involved,and see footage of people in churches crying and praying,just as we have seen before when a tragedy has occurred. Whether this signifies a long term beginning to a commitment to God from now on, or just a short term gesture,because they are frightened or in mourning,none but God can tell. People will react in strange ways at times like this.

As my Mother used to say: this reminds me of a story.

It seems a young mother took her little boy to his first day of school,and walked up to the teacher, and informed her that in no uncertain terms she did not expect the teacher to hit her little sensitive boy."Oh?" the teacher said," Then he's so well behaved, he won't be acting up?" "Oh,no! I don't mean that at all! He probably will act up...a little. But he's so sensitive, that all you have to do, is hit the kid next to him, and he will settle right down!"

So, my question to you is, what do you think? Might this instance be yet another situation,where God allowed this to happen, in effect, hitting the kid next to us, to get our attention? Another warning to get yourself right with God before something worse comes upon us?